Titans, Go!
by Novice Comic Lover
Summary: After Tokyo, the Titans get into a fight and split off. Five years later, they are brought together again. What brought them together? What has changed? What hasn't changed? What will change? Multiple different pairings. Rated T, but some M scenes.
1. Home from Tokyo

"Home sweet home!" Cyborg announced as the Titans flew the T-ship over Jump City with a plain view of Titan Tower.

"I've never been so happy to see it in my whole life!" Beast Boy flung his hands up in celebration. "What will I do first? Take a nap? Play a video game? Order pizza?"

"I vote that you take a shower," Raven dead-panned, receiving laughter from Cyborg and Robin. Beast Boy pouted and slumped in his chair, raising an arm to sniff his arm pit as casually as possible.

"It is so very nice to be back home," Starfire smiled. "But I would not have minded staying in Paris for a while longer."

"Yeah, Paris was nice," Robin grinned with his head in the clouds. He shook his head to clear it, his facial expression showing his determination to be the serious team leader. "But we're needed here. Vacation time is over."

"Man, you think a week alone with Starfire would have loosened you up more," Cyborg groaned.

"Yeah," Beast Boy chimed in. "What exactly did you guys do while the rest of us were in Amsterdam?"

"Uh…" Robin blushed before countering. "Well what did you guys do in Amsterdam?"

"Nothing illegal," Raven assured.

"Can you say the same?" Cyborg grinned. Robin narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"Robin and I would never do anything the law says we cannot," Starfire frowned at the accusation. With a grin she filled them in, "We had much romance, with the lights and the city and the snuggling."

"You snuggled?" Cyborg burst into laughter.

"Robin's a snuggler!" Beast Boy laughed along.

"Heh," Raven chuckled. "Snuggling."

"Shut up!" Robin crossed his arms angrily. "You're all just jealous!"

"Right," Raven shook her head as Beast Boy and Cyborg shrank in their seats. There was complete silence while the jet landed and everyone dragged their suitcases into to the tower. They all were about to part ways, each heading to their separate rooms when Robin cleared his throat.

"We all had a nice, long vacation. Two whole weeks without lifting a finger against crime," Robin began.

"Except for that simple street thief in Naples," Cyborg interrupted. "He had no idea who he was stealing from, did he Rae?"

"He's lucky Beast Boy intervened before I could send him to a hell dimension," Raven grumbled. She had gone in street clothes, leaving her cape behind for the vacation, and had immediately regretted it when a boy had snatched her bag away from her.

"Yeah, he sure freaked when he saw a Tyrannosaurs Rex coming after him," Beast Boy grinned from ear to ear. "Nobody steals from my friends."

"I'll never forget his face," Cyborg laughed. "I guess he won't be stealing any time soon."

"Well, there was that," Robin agreed. "But like I was saying, now that we're home, it's time to get back to work. So take an hour to unpack, clean up, and then meet on the roof for training."

"Are you kidding?" Beast Boy groaned, slumping against his suit case. "But… but…"

"C'mon, man! We just got home," Cyborg argued. "Let's take the day off to get our clocks adjusted. We can start training again on Monday."

"We've been on vacation long enough," Robin disagreed. "We need to get back to work."

"But I'm exhausted!" Beast Boy whined. Robin looked to Starfire for help.

"I would like to check on Silkie," Starfire shrugged, waiting on them to make a decision. Robin turned to Raven next.

"I could use some time to meditate," Raven droned.

"Fine," Robin groaned. "Two hours."

"Doooood!" Beast Boy moaned.

"C'mon, Rob. Training can wait one more day," Cyborg patted Robin on the shoulder.

"No it can't! Robin growled. "We were sloppy in Tokyo and now we've gone two whole weeks without training or fighting. We probably couldn't even handle Control Freak right now!"

"Oh, please," Cyborg waved him off. "We could handle anyone, anytime, anywhere."

"Well, I'm the team leader, and I say we need to train!" Robin yelled.

"And I keep wondering who died and made you king of the Titans!" Cyborg shouted.

"Please, friends, to stop the screaming and fighting," Starfire tried to get between the two seething Titans.

"Maybe if your boy here would give us a break for once," Cyborg mumbled.

"I just gave you two weeks!" Robin exclaimed.

"After five years of non-stop butt whooping!" Cyborg countered. "You'd think after all the bad guys we've shut down we could get a couple more days here and there!"

"Well, evil doesn't take a holiday, so neither can we," Robin put his fist to his hips in classic super hero pose.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Cyborg laughed. "Do you know how many bad guys have vacation homes? And it's not like we're the only heroes out there. If we need to, we could call in some help. Everybody takes a break now and then."

"We're not everybody," Robin stated. "We're the Titans, and this is our city. We will defend it 24/7 for every 365 days of the year."

"Uh, guys?" Beast Boy tried to interject. Raven shook her head with two fingers on either side of her forehead as she tried to keep calm. Starfire looked on desperately.

"Well, maybe you want to have some crazy god-complex where you'd like to train yourself to death, but I have other things to do!" Cyborg turned to move towards his room.

"And maybe you'd like to waste your time with little kid nonsense, but I have a city to save!" Robin yelled after him.

"Have your little training session, Rob. But I'm not coming!" Cyborg screamed over his shoulder.

"Then you're not a part of this team," Robin spat. Cyborg glared at him, shook his head, and then disappeared into his room. Robin glared down the rest of his team mates. "Training in an hour."

"I'm out, too," Beast Boy shook his head and moved to his room. "I can barely move, let alone transform."

"I need to meditate for at least a few hours before I'm in any shape," Raven sighed as she too moved to her room.

"Robin," Starfire spoke hesitantly, "since no one is going to train, perhaps we could rest and cuddle?"

"You're disobeying me, too?" Robin dropped his jaw in shock.

"Not disobeying. Disagreeing," Starfire nodded shyly. "I am your equal, am I not?"

"I can't believe you guys!" Robin turned to storm off.

"Robin?" Starfire called.

"Forget it. I'm out of here!" Robin fumed. "See how the Titans do without me."

"But Robin?" Starfire watched as he took his suitcase, turned for the front door, and left.

"Yo, what's with all the noise out here?" Cyborg peeked his head out.

"Seriously," Beast Boy also popped up. "I was just about to take a nap."

"I can't meditate with all of this yelling," Raven complained.

"Robin is gone," Starfire pouted, her head hanging and her shoulders slumped.

"Ah, he'll be back," Cyborg waved his hand and went back to his room.

"He's just grumpy cause he needs sleep," Beast Boy agreed and went back into his own room, too.

"He'll cool off," Raven nodded before returning to the solace of her own room.

"I hope so," Starfire whispered to herself before dragging her suitcase off to her room.


	2. Intruder Alert

_Five years later…_

"Hey, Sparky! Are you done reconfiguring the security system yet?" Bumblebee called as she came into the main frame computer room.

"Almost," Cyborg grunted. "That bug Control Freak threw our way last week really did a number on all of our systems, but it was geared towards wrecking the security especially. He better be glad the cops took him before I could do him in, the brat."

"You ask me, the cops did him a favor," Bumblebee shook her head. "Imagine, still living in your momma's basement as a balding twenty-year old. It's just sad."

"Alright, almost fixed and…" Cyborg stretched out his mechanical fingers and entered one last string of code before getting the system running. The second it turned back on, the alarms blared throughout Titan Tower.

"What on earth did you do?" Bumblebee yelled over the sirens.

"The code is perfect," Cyborg narrowed his eyes. "We have an intruder."

"Why is there a loud and piercing noise?" Starfire asked as soon as Cyborg and Bumblebee came into the Ops room.

"Cy, I thought you were fixing the security system?" Speedy added.

"I did," Cyborg answered.

"We have an intruder, team," Bumblebee commanded.

"Split up and search the tower," Cyborg added.

"I don't think that's necessary," all four Titans turned to find a familiar face disguised in an unfamiliar costume.

"What are you doing here?" Cyborg asked.

"You set off the alarms?" Bumblebee raised her eyebrows. "Just you? You're sure?"

"Is that really…?" Starfire began to ask as Speedy put his arm around her.

"Interesting costume change," Speedy commented. "Do you miss the cape?"

"It's good to see you all," Robin answered as he looked around the room. He noticed that Cyborg looked mostly the same, though his human parts were aging and his tech had obviously advanced. Bumblebee was just as curvy and sassy as ever, though her hair was no longer in two fluffy buns, but was let loose. Speedy had grown even taller and more buff, but his red hair was still clipped short and his costume was basically the same. He saved Starfire for last, his breath catching a bit as he finally allowed his gaze to rake over her. She showed the least change, Robin happily noted that she looked very much like the image he had often played over in his memories. "It's been a long time."

"You could say that," Cyborg frowned.

"Perhaps too long," Robin's eyes fell to the floor. "Maybe I should leave."

"Wait," Bumblebee put a hand on Cyborg's arm. They shared a look before Cyborg punched a code into his arm, turning off the alarm. "You're right. It's been too long. Which is exactly why you should stay."

"Really?" Robin looked up suspiciously.

"She's right, man," Cyborg nodded. "You're here now."

"And so are you," Robin looked around the Ops room, noting what had or hadn't changed. "In the old Titan Tower. How did that happen?"

"Well, when our team split up, I called out to Titans East. I figured if nothing else, I could join up with them, but they surprised me and made me team leader," Cyborg started to explain before he was cut off from a glare from Bumblebee. "Well, co-leader," Cyborg added with a small smile.

"Yeah, well I was ruling as Queen Bee until Cy just started bossing us around, so we figured we'd make it official," Bumblebee added as she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at Cyborg, daring him to argue with her.

"Anyways, with the better technology being here, we moved the team and just went by the name of the Titans," Cyborg shrugged.

"But we kept the ol' Titan's East tower as a backup," Bumblebee added. "Though honestly, I think none of us had the heart to tear it down after all we'd been through there."

"Okay, so you two joined Cy, but what happened to the rest of your team?" Robin asked as he looked around the Ops room.

"Well, we found out Aqualad is the prince of the ocean just when his people needed him to come back to rule. We keep in touch, but he's mostly busy with underwater politics," Bumblebee offered.

"And Más y Menos?" Robin asked with a frown, as he thought of how valuable Aqualad had been in so many missions and it was a shame to lose him.

"Well they grew up to be big and strong…" Cyborg grinned.

"Which we all thought was great…" Bumblebee chimed in.

"Until they left to fulfill their life dream of being _luchadores_," Cyborg rolled his eyes with a sigh.

"Apparently professional wrestling is more exciting than being a Titan," Bumblebee finished as Cy rubbed her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"You're kidding," Robin squinted his eyes in disbelief, "right?"

"I wish, man, but nope. And all three of them left about the same time, so when my ol' gal pal Star here showed up a few weeks later, we were happy to have the help," Cyborg nodded in Starfire's direction who blushed shyly.

"Yes. I had the excited feeling to be a part of the Titans again," Starfire spoke softly.

"And I definitely didn't have any objections to the addition," Speedy, who had been quietly standing by until now, spoke up with a wide grin as he squeezed the grip he had around Starfire's waist. Robin tried to ignore the blood boiling in his chest at the sight of their affections and focused on Cyborg and Bumblebee.

"Yes. You were most welcoming," Starfire giggled. "All of you."

"You don't happen to know what happened to…" Robin trailed off, unable to bring up the names of his former team mates.

"BB went back to the Doom Patrol," Cyborg shook his head. "I tried to get him to come here, but he refused."

"We do keep in touch with him, though," Bumblebee cut in. "That way in case either team needs the extra help, we're covered."

"Yeah," Cyborg grumbled. "But that's really the only reason we do talk."

"Oh," Robin bit his lip and looked at the ground. He shifted his eyes back to Cyborg. "And…?"

"Raven left the business altogether," Cyborg frowned. "She decided to try out normal life. Whatever that means."

"But we've kept tabs on her, just in case some old enemies try anything on her. She's taking poetry classes at the local college and supporting herself by teaching yoga," Bumblebee stepped in again. Robin noted that Cyborg and Bumblebee were great co-leaders, but even closer than that. Anytime one couldn't seem to discuss something, the other took over. It made Robin wish he hadn't been alone for all of these years.

"And the other Titans?" Robin was almost afraid to ask.

"Still together more or less. There've been changes, but that's life," Cyborg shrugged. "But Rob, there's some things you should know," Cyborg paused, looking for the right words.

"I think Sparky is trying to bring up the fact that we're a bit more than just co-leaders," Bumblebee wrapped her arm around one of his and leaned in to him.

"A bit?" Cyborg raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're together," Robin shrugged. "It seemed obvious, even five years ago."

"We're married," Cyborg lifted both their left hands to show off the matching rings.

"Oh," Robin sucked in a breath.

"I didn't know how to reach you with an invite," Cyborg shuffled his feet nervously. "I'm sorry, man. Wish you could have been there."

"Yeah. Me too," Robin shook his head. "But congratulations. That's… awesome."

"Thanks," Cyborg and Robin shook hands awkwardly and then the room became silent for several minutes.

"And you two…?" Robin couldn't bring himself to put the words out there. To ask if Starfire had actually married some other guy, and worse, someone who had often been compared to him.

"We are just, as you would say, dating," Starfire answered quickly.

"Okay…" Robin felt somewhat relieved, but he couldn't come up with how to say that and not sound too cruel to Speedy.

"Anywho, man, since you're here, I'm guessing there's a reason?" Robin yanked his gaze away from Starfire and tried to focus on the now speaking Cyborg. "Maybe you and I should go talk?"

"This is fine," Robin spoke up. "You should all know anyways. I came here following a Gotham criminal who escaped. I thought I'd see if there was anything still of use in the Tower. But since you're here, I guess I'll ask for your help."

"So you are fighting alongside the Batman again?" Starfire asked with curiosity. It was common knowledge to all the Titans that Robin had come to Jump City to get away from his former mentor, but no one had ever learned why he had left Gotham.

"I did for a while. After… everything, I needed to get away and I figured Gotham always needs more help. But after a while, well, let's just say Batman took something of mine and I wasn't really happy about it. I'm a solo act now," Robin shrugged.

"So you're fighting alone," Cyborg said without surprise.

"Are you still located in Gotham, Robin?" Starfire glared at Cyborg.

"Yes. But it's Nightwing now," Robin gestured to his costume, which was now a blue and black spandex outfit, sans cape.

"Alright, Nightwing," Cyborg crossed his arms over his chest, obviously not impressed with Robin's new persona, "so what's the skinny on the Gotham bad dude?"

"I'd rather brief the team when we're all together," Robin answered.

"What are you saying, Rob?" Cyborg asked while he, Bumblebee, Starfire, and Speedy all exchanged glances.

"I'm saying, it's time to get the old Titan team together again," Robin put hands to hips in a cliché superhero pose. "So how do you get in contact with Beast Boy and Raven?"


	3. Calling the Doom Patrol

"Yo, Cy," Beast Boy spoke into the Titans communicator he had carried for almost five years. When the team had split up, he had rejoined the Doom Patrol, wanting to be a part of a team that he knew again. Not long after, Cyborg had contacted him and asked him to join him with the Titans East team that would be moving to the old Titan Tower. Beast Boy didn't think he could stand to be back in that tower with a different team, so he had declined. Cyborg had handed him a communicator and told him to keep it handy, promising only to use it for emergencies, so that way either team, the Titans or the Doom Patrol, could get help when they needed it. Beast Boy had taken it, but he had promised himself he would never use it. In five years it had rung twice. Once when Cyborg announced his engagement to Bumblebee and asked Beast Boy to be his best man, and now today. Beast Boy wondered how Cyborg always managed to have bad timing as the Doom Patrol was under heavy fire from the Brotherhood of Evil both times he had lit up Beast Boy's emergency only communicator. "It's not really a good time."

"Sorry, BB," Cyborg shrugged. "Big news though man."

"Another wedding?" Beast Boy tried to hide his lack of enthusiasm.

"I'll let him tell you himself," Cyborg glanced off screen.

"Let who tell me what?" Beast Boy looked nervously between the battle and his screen.

"Hey Beast Boy," Beast Boy almost lost it as he saw Robin come on the screen. He looked different, but he was sure it was Robin. "How's the Doom Patrol?"

"Busy," Beast Boy answered. "And you, Robin?"

"Nightwing, now," Robin replied. "But, busy, too. That's why I'm calling."

"All business as usual, I see," Beast Boy grumbled.

"A Gotham crook made it to Jump City. The uh… new Titans, here have offered to help, but I'd love your help on this one," Robin answered, ignoring the crack Beast Boy had made.

"Gotham? Is Batman with you?" Beast Boy started to get excited.

"No," Robin practically growled. "So are you in?"

"I don't know, dude. You know how Steve is. I don't think he'd be cool with me leaving the team, especially right now," Beast Boy glanced nervously at his team leader and adopted father.

"And you need his permission?" Robin answered.

"Don't start with me, man. Especially when you're asking for my help," Beast Boy glared.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Robin nodded. "Any chance Steve can let you go for this one mission?"

"Let me talk to Cyborg," Beast Boy sighed.

"BB," Cy answered.

"What's the deal in Jump City? You need the entire Doom Patrol?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not sure, man. _Nightwing_ won't fill us in until the whole team is here," Cyborg glared off screen, and Beast Boy had to stifle a laugh at the obvious contempt Cyborg had for Robin's new persona.

"Then I guess I'm coming to Jump City," Beast Boy caved with a sigh. "Any chance I can get my old room?"

"Never touched it, bud," Cyborg smiled weakly. "See ya soon."

"Yea," Beast Boy shook his head glumly as he returned the communicator to his pocket. "Awkward Titan reunion, here I come."


	4. Heroes and Disguises

"Hello, Raven," Robin greeted her solemnly as he slipped in to the dark yoga studio.

"I don't go by that name anymore. And from what I hear, you don't go by Robin anymore either," Raven answered calmly as she floated down from her meditation. She had just finished her classes for the day and was happily enjoying some alone time when she felt a familiar presence. She noted with frown that Robin was still wearing his mask, and guessed that his visit was more of business than pleasure. She held back a sigh that he had finally tracked her down. After all these years, he chose now, when she was so immersed in a regular life, to come back to Jump City.

"It's Nightwing now," Robin confirmed. Raven almost laughed hearing the name. It was the one Starfire had claimed he went by when she had gone into the future. It didn't surprise Raven one bit that of all the futures to come true, it would be Robin's. He had always been too much of a loner even when he was supposed to be leading their team.

"I would love to say that it's good to see you, but I have a feeling this isn't a simple friendly visit," Raven sighed as she stood up and stretched, readying herself for Robin's pitch and the subsequent fight.

"Not exactly," Robin smirked and Raven frowned.

"Before you tell me anything or go into some long speech about good vs evil, let me save you the trouble. I'm not interested," Raven waved him off. "I got out of the hero business five years ago, and I've never looked back. I don't intend to now."

"You don't even want to hear me out?" Robin's jaw fell in shock. He thought surely he would be able to convince Raven to help. She had always been the silent but agreeable Titan.

"Five years ago, Robin, I thought you could make the sun rise and fall at whim. I would have followed you wherever you had asked. I was even foolish enough at one point to think that I might have loved you as more than a team leader," Raven shook her head. "But I've learned a lot in our time apart. I know now that you were just a hot-headed, impetuous, ignorant little boy playing dress up. And though I still love you like a brother, you have a long way to go before you'll ever be the super hero you hope to be."

"But Raven…" Robin sighed as his shoulders slumped forward.

"Rachel. And I am done playing that part. You may have changed your name and costume, but nothing has changed," Raven scooped up her yoga mat and turned to leave. "Come see me when you've lost the mask."

"But Raven!" Robin called after her as he watched her walk away. She didn't turn back, though, no matter how much he wanted her to. He turned to leave himself as he muttered, "I guess the team will have to be one man down."


	5. Not Quite All There

"This better be important," Beast Boy grumbled to himself as he entered the Titan Tower. "Steve's never going to let me forget this."

"BB!" Cyborg greeted him before Starfire practically tackled him.

"Friend Beast Boy! It is most exciting to see you again!" Starfire shrieked as she held him an embrace so tight, Beast Boy could hardly breathe.

"You too," Beast Boy managed to get out as soon as he was released.

"Welcome back, Green Bean," Bumblebee nodded in his direction.

"You remember your old room, right?" Speedy pointed down the hall.

"Hi guys," Beast Boy greeted. "So what's the deal?"

"Not sure, yet. I guess we'll find out when Rob gets back with Raven," Cyborg shrugged.

"What do you mean? I thought Raven was here with you?" Beast Boy looked around to find four confused faces staring back at him.

"You mean you didn't know?" Bumblebee was the first to speak up.

"Friend Beast Boy, Raven is no longer Raven," Starfire began.

"WHAT?" Beast Boy screeched.

"She's normal, now, man. Goes by Rachel," Cyborg shook his head.

"She's taking classes and teaching and stuff," Speedy added.

"Friend Raven is still in Jump City, though," Starfire smiled weakly.

"And Robin went to go get her?" Beast Boy quirked an eyebrow. "I doubt she'll listen to him."

"Yeah, I figure the same," Cyborg nodded. "But Robin hasn't changed. Still thinks he can and has to do everything. No stopping him."

"Not surprised," Beast Boy rolled his eyes.

"Enough, Friends!" Starfire cried out just as Robin came in looking defeated.

"Where's Raven?" Speedy asked, being the only one willing.

"Not coming," Robin growled. "She's being completely unreasonable."

"Hold up there just a sec," Cyborg pointed his finger in Robin's face.

"Yeah! You want to talk about being unreasonable," Beast Boy added.

"Please, Friends! No more of this fighting and being mean," Starfire pouted.

"Star's right," Bumblebee added. "We're not getting anywhere like this."

"Fine," Cyborg grumbled.

"Okay," Robin muttered.

"So what exactly happened with Rae?" Beast Boy asked.

"She said she's done with the superhero business," Robin mumbled. "And she chewed me out quite a bit."

"Not surprised," Cyborg added. "I just tried to give her a communicator and she gave me one hell of a lecture."

"Have you ever thought about just, talking to her?" Beast Boy questioned.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"Like you probably just went in there and demanded she came back straight away," Beast Boy frowned. "You know, like you did with me. Maybe if you just talked to her and actually listened, found out why she wasn't interested, you could bring her around."

"I don't think she'll listen to me," Robin shook his head. "She told me not to come back, basically."

"She's not exactly talking to any of us either," Cyborg added.

"Star?" Beast Boy turned to her.

"Friend Raven does not like to see me much. She lets me sit in on her yoga classes, but I must behave," Starfire looked at the ground sadly.

"Why don't you try?" Bumblebee smiled confidently at Beast Boy. "You're the only one of the old team she hasn't turned down yet."

"I won't force her," Beast Boy warned them. "I don't exactly want to be here myself."

"Maybe that's why you're the best man for the job," Cyborg nodded.

"Speaking of which," Beast Boy rubbed his head awkwardly, "Sorry about missing the wedding."

"Forgotten," Cyborg waved him off.

"You're here now," Bumblebee smiled.

"Please, Friend Beast Boy, bring Friend Raven back?" Starfire plead.

"I'll see," Beast Boy frowned as he turned to leave. He had meant what he had said about not forcing her, but it couldn't hurt to just go and see her.


	6. A Sweet Reunion

"Hey, Rae," Raven turned to find someone she least expected to ever visit her.

"Beast Boy?" Raven looked at him skeptically. He had the same green skin and hair and even the same purple and black uniform, but so much else about him was different. Where he was once short and gangly, he was tall and had filled out quite a bit.

"No worries. I'm not here to recruit you like Robin. I mean, Nightwing," Beast Boy sighed.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, her guard still up.

"Well, I heard you were still in town and it's been awhile…" Beast Boy scratched his head as he casually looked Raven up and down. She looked entirely different compared to the girl with the cape he had remembered. She was still curvy and slight, but her hair now fell down her back in natural waves and her demeanor was far more peaceful, even cheery.

"So, you're just here to… catch up?" Raven unfolded her arms and moved forwards.

"Is that so hard to believe?" he shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I'm just wondering why now. We haven't even spoken in five years," Raven grumbled.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I just… couldn't," Beast Boy hung his head.

"I understand. I didn't exactly reach out to anyone either," Raven offered a small smile.

"So what have you been up to?" he asked.

"Well, I'm taking some classes at the local college," Raven replied.

"Let me guess, poetry?" Beast Boy smirked as Raven blushed. "Okay, and what else?"

"I teach yoga classes," Raven nodded.

"Poetry and yoga? Sounds perfect for you," Beast Boy grinned.

"It's… different," she averted her gaze.

"Kind of the point, I figured," Beast Boy commented.

"Yeah…" Raven trailed off. "What about you?"

"Doom patrol," Beast Boy confirmed. "Didn't really know where else to go…"

"And it's been good?" Raven prodded.

"It… is what it is," Beast Boy sighed. "I guess I'm just too nostalgic for… the good old days."

"I understand," Raven nodded.

"I hear you told Robin off pretty good though," he grinned, and Raven couldn't help but smile as she noticed that still crooked little fang poking out. Some things hadn't changed.

"I might have been a little harsh," Raven admitted.

"You? Never," Beast Boy chuckled. "Though you do seem different, now. More relaxed somehow."

"I've embraced the whole not being a hero thing. I've even… played some video games," Raven said as seriously as possible.

"You're kidding!" Beast Boy laughed.

"Nope. I'm actually pretty good," Raven smiled.

"We'll have to play sometime so I can see for myself," Beast Boy challenged.

"You're on," Raven agreed. "But as much as I've changed, you've changed, too. You're far more serious than I remember."

"Yeah, well you met Steve, he doesn't exactly have a sense of humor," Beast Boy's smile slipped from his face.

"So you're telling me there's five years worth of bad jokes pent up inside that little green head of yours?" Raven's eyebrows raised.

"Pretty much," Beast Boy nodded. "It's actually really weird being back. Cy's married to Bumblebee, Starfire's all cuddly with Speedy. They're like the freaking double date team. And don't get me started on Robin, I mean Nightwing."

"Yeah," Raven shook her head. "Speaking of which, did you go to the wedding?"

"I was supposed to," Beast Boy said. "Cy asked me to be his best man, which was weird, but then a mission came up, so I had to bail."

"I couldn't either. I actually left town that weekend and went to a poetry festival. I was kind of scared you all would be there and… I didn't want to deal with it," Raven admitted.

"You have no idea how glad I was we had a mission. I was terrified of going, too," Beast Boy nodded.

"It seems silly now, though," Raven shook her head. "I'm really glad you came to see me."

"Me, too," Beast Boy agreed. "I wish I hadn't waited so long."

"Yeah," Raven bit her lip. "Let's actually keep in touch from now on."

"We have to," Beast Boy agreed. "I still have to see you actually play a video game."

"You mean watch me kick your butt," Raven challenged.

"No way! I may be a little rusty, but you're still a newb," Beast Boy argued.

"Well, I guess we'll find out," Raven smirked.

"Raven? I mean, Rachel. I don't want to make you mad or anything, but… why won't you come help the team out?" Beast Boy shuffled his feet nervously.

"I gave Robin a lot of reasons, but I'm going to be honest with you," Raven sucked in a breath before she leaned in to Beast Boy and whispered, "I'm scared."

"Rae," Beast Boy took her hand in his. "We're all scared."

"Maybe so," Raven nodded. "But I've been out of the game for a long time now. I'm not sure… what if I can't do it anymore?"

"You can kick butt even in your sleep," Beast Boy countered.

"Maybe I used to," Raven hid a smile, "but so much has changed."

"Apparently so," Beast Boy frowned. "The Raven I knew wasn't too afraid to go out and fight, even when all hope seemed lost."

"But I'm not Raven anymore," she whispered sadly, the tears welling up in her eyes.

"You'll always be Raven to me," Beast Boy squeezed her hand before letting go. "I'm not going to pressure you into anything, but I won't pretend that I don't want you to come with us."

"I don't want you to hate me, but I don't know if I can," Raven shook her head.

"No matter what, we're good," Beast Boy smiled weakly. "We still have to see who's better at video games."

"Promise?" Raven extended her pinky.

"Of course. I never back down from a challenge," Beast Boy linked pinkies. "And we're not going another five years like this. Next time I'll come back and you'll have dyed your hair or bought a skateboard."

"I won't if you won't," Raven laughed.

"Deal," Beast Boy smiled. "At least I can still make you laugh."

"You've always been funny," Raven admitted. Upon seeing the triumphant grin growing wider every second on Beast Boy's face, she amended her compliment. "But don't let it go to your head."

"Too late!" Beast Boy's toothy grin smirked at her. "You think I'm funny!"

"Oh Azar," Raven groaned. "Same old Beast Boy."

"Same old Raven," Beast Boy mimicked. "So what do you think? One more mission?"

"Well…" Raven hesitated. She saw the earnest look on Beast Boy's face and felt a tug on her heart as the memories of the old team rushed in. She had kept them at bay so long, it was like the dam had broken and her emotions were flooding through. With tears in her eye, she smiled at Beast Boy and took his hand. "Okay."


	7. Sparring

"Oh," Stafire paused in the doorway to the weights room. After Beast Boy went to talk to Raven, Cyborg and Bumblebee had gone off to the control room, talking in hushed tones. For a few minutes, Robin, Speedy, and Starfire had stood around in the Ops room in the most uncomfortable silence. Finally, Robin had mumbled something about getting in a quick work out as he had jetted out of the room as fast as possible. Speedy had frowned in his direction, but settled back on the couch with a book. Starfire tried to curl up with him, hoping she would sit and read over his shoulder like normal, but she couldn't concentrate and the words swam on the page as her mind raced. Finally, she gave up and told Speedy she was going to hit the gym.

"Everything okay?" he had asked, marking his spot in the book with his finger and looking up at her.

"Yes," Starfire nodded.

"It's just," Speedy paused. "I know you, and… you like to work out when something's bothering you."

"Sometimes," Starfire agreed. "But sometimes I just need to release some energy."

"Okay, but…" Speedy stood up and grabbed at her hand. "I'd understand if this was weird. I mean, do we need to talk about… Robin?"

"It is Nightwing now," Starfire shook her head. "And just like his name, other things have changed."

"Right," Speedy nodded. "It's just… you know how much I care about you, right?"

"Of course," Starfire smiled. "And I care for you."

"Good," Speedy smiled back. He squeezed her hand and then released it before getting back to his book. Starfire studied him for a moment before turning towards the weight room. Upon reaching it, though, she found Robin punching the crap out of a punching bag.

"I did not mean to interrupt," Starfire quickly apologized and turned to leave. "I am most sorry. I will leave now."

"Star?" Robin brought his fist down to his sides and looked up. "No, it's okay. Please. Stay."

"Are you sure?" Starfire turned back around, trying to keep her eyes on Robin's. She couldn't help but let her glance fall over him, though. She took in his mask, the one thing about him that looked exactly the same, before letting her eyes fall follow the beads of sweat as they trailed down his well-toned chest before they disappeared under the waist band of his gym shorts.

"Yeah," Starfire forced her eyes up as Robin answered her. "I mean, it's your gym. If anyone should go, it's me."

"You can stay," Starfire blushed and dropped her eyes to the ground.

"Star, I…" Robin took two steps toward her, but stopped with a heavy sigh. He bit his lip and looked skywards. "Do you want to spar?"

"That would be alright," Starfire nodded.

"Ladies first," Robin offered as he held out his hands and made a come on motion. Starfire shook her head with a slight smile before attacking with a round house kick. Robin blocked it, grabbing her leg and holding her in place. Starfire simply floated and used her other foot to kick. Robin had to let go of her other leg to block, and Starfire landed gently on the ground.

"I forgot what it's like to fight someone who can actually fly," Robin laughed as he blocked a punch.

"I shall take it easy on you then?" Starfire teased as she jumped to avoid a leg sweep.

"Not a chance," Robin smirked as he lept from a crouch and flipped over Starfire to land on her other side. "I want to win fair and square."

"Who says you will win?" Starfire placed her hands on her hips as she turned to face him.

"I always do," Robin shrugged.

"I always let you win," Starfire countered.

"Really?" Robin's face fell a bit.

"It made you happy to win. I like to see you happy," Starfire paused and then corrected herself. "I liked to see you happy."

"Yeah, unfortunately, Batman kind of nurtured my sore loser's spirit," Robin shook his head. "But winning's not everything is it?"

"No, it is not," Starfire answered seriously as she looked down at the ground.

"Star, I…" Robin lifted her chin to meet his gaze. "What… I…uh…. Well…"

"Yes?" Starfire frowned. Robin was rarely inarticulate, and she knew something must be weighing heavily on his mind if he couldn't spit it out.

"What happened?" Robin sighed and pulled his hand away from Starfire's face. "To the team, I mean."

"You left," Starfire looked at him confused.

"Well, yeah," Robin bit his lip nervously and scratched at his head. "But I came back a week later and everyone was just… gone."

"After you left, no one could agree on anything," Starfire shook her head. "Raven was the first to go."

"Why?" Robin frowned.

"She said she could not stand the disorder," Starfire sighed. "But I think her heart was no longer in it."

"But Beast Boy?" Robin shook his head.

"He left soon after Raven," Starfire answered. "He said he wished to be a part of a team again. A family."

"But you and Cy…" Robin paused.

"Cyborg went to the Titans East as soon as Raven and Beast Boy left," Starfire added. "Like he said."

"And you?" Robin started to reach out for her hand, but stalled half-way there, leaving his hand just out between them.

"I went to Tamaran," Starfire looked at the hand Robin held out.

"Tamaran?" Robin pulled his hand back to slide through his hair. "Why?"

"It is my place of birth," Starfire answered weakly. "I spent a year assisting my K'norfka and reconnecting with my people."

"A year?" Robin's eyebrows shot up.

"Yes," Starfire nodded. "And then I came back to find Cyborg, Bumblebee, and Speedy here."

"Star?" Robin shuffled his feet nervously. "Why did you come back? From Tamaran."

"Tamaran is no longer my home," Starfire shook her head. "I told you that once before."

"Right," Robin nodded, recalling when he had almost lost Starfire to a blob.

"This tower is my home," Starfire smiled dreamily as she looked around the room.

"I can't believe how much it hasn't changed," Robin commented, his eyes following hers.

"Some things do not," Starfire moved closer and reached up to graze her fingertips over his mask.

"No," Robin breathed heavily. "Some things don't." With that, Robin closed the gap between them and tentatively brought his lips to Starfire's. He brushed the lightest kiss against her lips and then pulled back ever so slightly to look into her eyes. They sparkled back at him, and he wiped a small tear from her cheek before leaning back in. This time, he crashed his lips against hers, pouring the passion of a million kisses that he thought about for the past five years into one single moment. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer as their tongues danced with one another's. When they finally pulled away to catch their breath, Robin was shocked to see a stream of tears flowing freely down Starfire's face.

"Star," he cradled her head in his hands. "I'm so sorry." Starfire cried even harder upon hearing this, and Robin ended up pulling her into his arms muttering soothing sounds.

"Please don't cry, Star. I didn't mean to upset you," Robin cooed.

"I am just…" Starfire sniffled. "Sad. Angry. Confused."

"Yeah," Robin agreed. "This is confusing."

"I am upset at you," Starfire frowned.

"I'm mad at me, too," Robin sighed. "But you… I mean… it's you. And I've missed you. I think about you every day. Wondering where you are and what you're doing and thinking about how much I messed up. I'm so sorry, Star. I…" Starfire cut Robin off with another kiss.

"I have missed you as well," Starfire told him. Robin leaned forward to kiss her again, but she pushed two fingers against his lips. "But some things have changed."

"Right," Robin frowned and tried to push the image of Speedy with Starfire out of his head. "So… what happened to Silkie?"

"Oh, Silkie is great. He has his own room next to mine," Starfire grinned.

"But… my old room was next to yours," Robin narrowed his eyes.

"And now that room is Silkie's," Starfire clapped happily.

"Great," Robin rolled his eyes. "So I guess I'm staying…"

"In one of the guest rooms," Starfire finished. "Cyborg expanded his old room for Bumblebee to join him. In case Raven ever needed a safe place, we kept her room the same. Beast Boy's room is also the same in case the Doom Patrol ever stays here."

"But my room you changed," Robin sighed. "I guess I'm not surprised, but I figured Speedy would take it."

"He is in Terra's room," Starfire bit her lip. "Cyborg tried to tell him…"

"I guess it was bound to happen," Robin shrugged.

"Yes," Starfire agreed. "Things do change."

"But not everything?" Robin nudged Starfire's hands with his until their fingers twisted together. They locked eyes and Robin could see the hesitation in Starfire's, but he leaned forward anyways.

"Beast Boy's back," Robin practically jumped and Starfire jolted at the sound of Speedy's voice. Starfire jerked her hand back and Robin glared at the floor. "With Raven."

"Really?" Starfire jumped up and down excitedly.

"He did it," Robin shook his head with disbelief.

"Yeah," Speedy offered coldly. "Cy called everyone to the Ops room so you could finally clue us in."

"Raven?" Starfire was already out the door and calling for her friend, completely overjoyed by the news.

"Well, that's everybody," Robin released a sigh of relief and picked up the shirt he had set aside to throw on before heading to Ops.

"It sure is," Speedy crossed his arms in the doorway. "But, _Nightwing_, don't think this means things are back to how they used to be."

"I'm not here to relive the glory days," Robin shrugged on his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sure," Speedy scoffed. "But don't get any ideas."

"Look…" Robin started.

"No, you listen," Speedy growled. "I've seen what you've done to your team. What you did to Starfire. Maybe for you that was all five years ago, but they've been dealing ever since. My own team was ripped apart at the seams, and being one of those people that was left behind, I can tell you that if any of them had the nerve to crawl back here I'd tell them where to stick it. Apparently, your old team is either more forgiving or more naïve. Maybe both. But just so you know, I'll be keeping an eye on you. Don't try to weasel your way back in or pull rank. And don't mess with Starfire."

"Speedy," Robin started, but before he could say anything, Speedy stormed out of the room. Robin leaned against the nearest weight machine and thought about everything that had happened in the last several hours. He had come into the Tower to a not so warm welcome, been dismissed by Raven, reprimanded by Beast Boy, had an entirely confusing moment with Starfire, and then got told off by her new boyfriend and his old pay Speedy. If this could all happen within the day, Robin couldn't help but wonder what else was going to happen before he was headed back to Gotham.


	8. Friends and Foes

"Alright, Rob. Team's all here. Now who's the big bad? Cyborg asked the second Robin entered the room. Robin glanced around Ops noticing Bumblebee and Cyborg were still pretty much attached at the hip, Raven was hanging back with Beast Boy standing nearby, and Speedy was possessively guarding Starfire.

"Well," Robin started, but before he could get another word out the telecommunication beeped that there was an incoming call. Cyborg went to check who was calling and looked back at Robin with a frown.

"It's Batman," Cyborg raised his eyebrows at Robin, and Robin nodded at him to take the call.

"Titans?" Batman's face appeared and he looked around the room, his eyes immediately catching Robin's presence. "Oh, Robin. I didn't realize you were in Jump City."

"It's Nightwing. And yeah, I just got in," Robin answered icily.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you're there. I won't have to fill you in on too many details, now. Ivy escaped Arkham and was last traced to Jump City," Batman informed the group. Everyone but Robin looked confused wondering who Ivy was and what this would mean.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm here," Robin snarled.

"Oh. Well, I'll assume you'll handle it then," Batman nodded curtly. "I would come myself, but…"

"It's fine. I've got it," Robin crossed his arms over his chest. "So where's… Batgirl?"

"She's gone, Robin," Batman lowered his head.

"GONE?" Robin practically screeched as his entire body became tense.

"She gave up the mask. She fights on the side of the law now," Batman explained. "Takes after her father, I suppose."

"Huh," Robin dragged a hand down his face, feeling his heart relaxing into a normal rhythm again.

"Should I tell her you send your regards?" Batman offered.

"Don't bother," Robin shook his head angrily.

"It's not a problem," Batman's eye narrowed.

"No," Robin frowned. "I've got work to do, so…"

"Keep me updated," Batman ordered before hitting a button. The screen became blank, but Robin still scowled at it.

"Robin?" Starfire hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder.

"Not now," Robin barked before storming off. The rest of the group hung back, but Starfire started to go after him.

"I think you should let him cool off," Speedy grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"It seems that the Batman upset him," Starfire observed.

"I think it had more to do with Batgirl," Bumblebee mumbled.

"Bee," Cyborg chastised with a pointed look in Starfire's direction.

"We're all thinking it," she shrugged as she glanced over at the rest of the team.

"It wouldn't be surprising…" Raven started but drifted off as she caught a confused look on Starfire's face.

"No, it wouldn't," Beast Boy agreed. "But it doesn't matter. We're not here to find out what may or may not have happen with Robin in the past five years. We're here to catch the bad guy, send him off, and go back our separate ways. Right?"

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed with a sigh. "So let's get to work."

"Friends? What is it you are not telling me?" Starfire inquired. Cyborg and Bumblebee shared an uncomfortable look.

"We should find out all we can about Ivy and this Arkham prison she escaped from," Bumblebee told Cyborg. He nodded before they retreated to the control room.

"Friend Raven? Friend Beast Boy?" Starfire glanced at them each respectively.

"It's not important," Raven offered weakly.

"Don't worry about it," Beast Boy chimed in.

"Speedy?" She turned to her boyfriend and looked at him for an answer.

"I need to work on my arrows," he muttered before heading out of the room.

"I do not understand what is going on with friend Robin or why my other friends will not tell me," Starfire sighed more to herself than Raven or Beast Boy.

"He's just got some issues with his mentor," Beast Boy shrugged.

"But Robin has always been upset by the mere mention of the Batman," Starfire countered.

"Exactly," Raven nodded. "Don't worry too much about it, Starfire."

"I will try," she whispered before slouching down on the nearest couch.

"I'm going to go meditate," Raven announced.

"Mind if I join?" Beast Boy rested his hand on Raven's arm and grinned with his little fang poking over his lip. Raven studied him, wondering if the Beast Boy she remembered could sit quietly long enough to meditate, let alone for five seconds. "I'll behave. Promise," he added, noticing her hesitation.

"Okay," Raven consented slowly. Beat Boy's grin grew larger as he followed her up to the roof.


	9. Whats in a Name?

"Beast Boy," Raven kept her eyes closed as she calmly reprimanded him. "Stop staring at me."

"I'm not," he protested. "I mean, I just… I've just missed you."

"Really?" Raven opened her eyes and floated down from her meditation without realizing it. She was so shocked by his words, that she hardly noticed when she hit the ground.

"Well, yeah, Rae," Beast Boy laughed. "Why wouldn't I?"

"We weren't exactly close," she mused, as she tried not to notice how intensely Beast Boy's eyes locked onto hers.

"What are you talking about? Of course we were!" he objected. "Sure, we didn't talk much, but I think you were the closest friend I had. I knew exactly what you were thinking with just a passing glance. I still do. Like right now, you're thinking I'm crazy."

"That wouldn't be difficult to figure out," she teased. "I just don't get it, though. I was mostly really mean to you."

"You were just annoyed with me," he shrugged. "I never took any of those things you said seriously. I knew you didn't really mean them."

"I thought I did at the time," she agreed.

"See," he grinned. "I know you better than you even know yourself."

"I guess so," she shook her head. "So, Beast Boy…"

"Yeah, Rae?" he unfolded his legs and let them sprawl out between them.

"What should I call you?" Raven frowned. "I mean, Garfield doesn't sound quite right. And I just can't call you Beast Boy anymore. It doesn't really fit either."

"I know. I'm too much of a man to be called a boy," he teased. Raven blushed, but laughed along with him.

"I just don't know what to call you anymore," she squinted her eyes, studying every inch of his face for an answer.

"Gar?" he offered.

"No," she shook her head.

"BB?" he tried again.

"Nah," she pursed her lips.

"Well, I guess you could call me Mark," he shrugged.

"Mark?" she titled her head curiously.

"Yeah. It's my middle name. I've always liked it better than Garfield. It sounds more adult, more…" Beast Boy paused, the right word not coming to mind.

"Normal?" Raven filled in. Beast Boy nodded. "Okay, Mark. I think that works."

"Alright, Rachel," he grinned. "So tell me, are we done meditating? Cause it's so boring. I mean why would you want to sit still and be quiet for so long?"

"I knew I shouldn't have let you join me," Raven shook her head, but couldn't help but smile anyways.

"Ah, you don't really mean that," Beast Boy waggled his finger at her with a toothy grin.

"No," she laughed. "I guess I don't."


	10. Old Times

"Thanks for the tofu dogs, Bee. I wish you had been her back in the day, then I wouldn't have had to cook all my own food," Beast Boy kicked his feet upon the coffee table and belched.

"No prob. I'm usually the only one around here who eats it, so it's nice to cook for someone else," Bumblebee mentioned as she sat down on the arm of the chair that Cyborg was stretched out in.

"You know I love you, Bee, but I will not give up meat. That's where I draw the line," Cyborg offered up his own burp.

"Nice one," Beast Boy commented. "Speedy, can you outburp this guy?"

"Nah," Speedy laughed as he sat on the floor in front of the TV, "I'll never beat the champion."

"Oh, you mean Star?" Beast Boy nodded in her direction. "Who knew such a little thing could hide so many stomachs, or that more stomachs equals more belching power."

"I am weak at the burping compared to many of those on Tamaran," Starfire blushed and joined Speedy on the floor.

"Such scintillating conversation that I've missed over the years," Raven droned.

"And what fascinating commentary from you about how idiotic we are that we've all missed over the years," Beast Boy mimicked in the same monotone.

"You're such an ass," Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

"Actually, I prefer the term donkey," he teased before turning into a donkey and braying in the middle of the room.

"The more accurate term would be…" Raven began.

"Alright, alright. And we've all missed you two fighting. Now let's move on," Cyborg waved his arms between the two. Beast Boy changed back and smirked at Raven whose frown quickly turned into a smile.

"I know what we can move on to," Bumblebee added. "Bed. I'm beat."

"I am tired as well," Starfire mentioned before yawning.

"Good idea," Cyborg agreed. "I should plug in soon. BB, Rae, your old rooms are untouched."

"Did you leave Robin's room, too?" Beast Boy asked. There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone avoided looking at each other. While the rest of the gang had spent dinner rehashing old times and catching up, Robin had been holed away, supposedly doing research on Ivy's whereabouts, though most of them assumed he was brooding over his conversation with Batman.

"Well, actually, it's Silkie's room now," Speedy finally mentioned.

"Oh man! You still have Silkie? How is the little guy?" Beast Boy sat up excitedly.

"Silkie is still the most precious creature in the entire world," Starfire smiled brightly.

"So, I guess Robin's getting one of the guest rooms?" Raven cocked an eyebrow at Cyborg.

"He said it was fine," Cyborg shrugged.

"So Speedy, which guest room did you pick?" Beast Boy asked. "There's that one with the…"

"Uh, BB?" Cyborg patted his friend on the shoulder. "He, um. Well, Speedy took Terra's old room."

"Oh," Beast Boy nodded. "Can I see it?"

"You sure that's the best idea?" Everyone turned to find Robin with his arms crossed, leaning back against the wall just inside the doorway.

"It's just a room," Beast Boy sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than the others.

"I'd like to see it," Raven added quietly. Beast Boy gave her a weak smile and she returned it.

"Uh, sure," Speedy looked at Starfire who nodded solemnly and then back at Beast Boy. "It's unlocked. Go ahead."

"Kay, thanks," Best Boy started to take off and Raven quickly followed behind.

"So, I guess we should get you a room," Bumblebee offered to Robin.

"I've still got a lot of work to do, so I doubt I'll be getting any sleep," Robin shrugged before leaving the room.

"Just like old times," Cyborg muttered as the new Titans team stared after Robin.


	11. Emotional

"You sure about this?" Raven asked as she caught up with Beast Boy. He was standing, staring at the door, his eyes drooped a little like he was tired, emotionally worn out after all that had happened in just the short span of a day.

"No," he answered honestly. Raven took his hands, slipping each of her fingers between his and gave it a squeeze. When Beast Boy opened the door, Raven sucked in her breath. The room that had once been decorated to look like the outdoors was replaced with a very plain and tidy room. The glow in the dark star stickers that once dotted the ceiling were long gone, and the walls were painted a simple soothing green color. Even the carpet had been changed out for something much plainer, and the furniture was simple oak. If anything, the room looked more like it had once belonged to Robin, more so than it did like Terra's old room. Beast Boy took a step into the room and Raven followed, tightening her grip on his hand.

"You okay?" he looked over at her.

"I didn't think it would be so…" she trailed off as she continued to take in the room.

"So different? So plain? So… much like Robin's?" Beast Boy tried to fill in.

"So hard," Raven finally answered, a quiver clearly noticeable in her voice.

"Aw, Rachel," Beast Boy pulled her into a hug, releasing her hand and squeezing her tight to his chest. "It's okay."

"Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?" Raven sobbed into his chest.

"She was your friend, too," Beast Boy reminded her. "It's okay to be sad about losing that."

"But she was more to you," Raven looked up to see a frown spread across his face.

"She might have become more," Beast Boy nodded. "But it didn't work out. That was a long time ago."

"How can you be so okay with this?" Raven shook her head.

"Rae," he sighed, as he brushed the tears from her face, "I've been over the whole Terra thing since before we got back from Tokyo."

"But…" she started.

"She was a great girl. A fun person to hang out with. The coolest friend, but…" Beast Boy bit his lip.

"But?" Raven's brow creased as she studied his face for a clue.

"It's hard to explain, but seeing Robin and Starfire when we were in Tokyo," Beast Boy shrugged as he let his arms drop from Raven, "I realized what I felt for Terra wasn't… it wasn't like that."

"Oh," Raven slid her hands down his chest, where she had been clinging to his shirt. She tried not to notice the wall of muscle she felt as she pulled away. "But you two…"

"Well, I'm still a guy, Rach," Beast Boy laughed. "I mean, when a good-looking, funny, smart girl is into a guy with green skin and a depressing childhood… it's kind of a no brainer."

"Very funny," Raven narrowed her eyes.

"I'm being serious," he whispered. "I know I talk a big game and all, but not a lot of girls go for the green man."

"You forget you're speaking to a half-demon here. There's nothing less appealing than being part demon," Raven argued.

"Oh, please," Beast Boy scoffed. "The half-demon thing is hot. It's like you've got a bad side."

"Stop it," Raven batted him playfully.

"C'mon Rae," he laughed. "You know you're hot."

"Cut it out," Raven laughed.

"Seriously, you're smoking hot," he grinned. "You could get any guy with just a look."

"You're not funny," Raven crossed her arms.

"Not trying to be," he smiled as he towered over her. "But seriously, the green skin, the unflattering purple and black uniform, and the under bite doesn't exactly drive the girls wild."

"But you're adorable!" Raven countered.

"Just what every guy hopes to be called. The same word used to describe puppies, kittens, and various other baby animals," he rolled his eyes.

"Well, you can turn into all of those things," Raven offered.

"True. And even better, I'm already house broken," Beast Boy smirked.

"Now that's hot," Raven laughed.

"Yeah?" Beast Boy leaned forward, and shut his eyes and then…

"Mark?" Raven's high-pitched voice rang out.

"Hm?" he mumbled not bothering to open his eyes or pull away.

"I'm with someone," she whispered.

"Fuck," Beast Boy jumped back and opened his eyes to find Raven watching him cautiously. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

"You're mad at me," she mumbled.

"No," he shook his head and began to pace. "The fact that you would think that is just one of the reasons why I… no. I'm mad at me, Rachel."

"Why?" she bit her lip and put her hand on his arm to stop him from pacing.

"Because…" Beast Boy shook her off. "I gotta go."

"Wait," Raven called after him as he turned to leave. Beast Boy sighed, but he stopped anyways. "So you're not mad at me?"

"Of course not," he answered over his shoulder, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. Raven watched him leave, and then she curled up on the floor of the Terra's old room and cried.


	12. Wrong

"I brought you some dinner," Starfire announced as she came into the evidence room. "You should eat something."

"Oh," Robin hardly looked up from the map of Jump City he was hunched over. "Thanks."

"Eat," Starfire commanded as she placed the plate over the map.

"Fine," Robin smiled at her. He couldn't help but be reminded of the many times she had done this before. He had been raised to be a workaholic, so he never realized how many meals he skipped or how much time had passed when he was holed up in the evidence room. Starfire had mothered him from the beginning, constantly nagging him to eat, sleep, or even just spend a few minutes in the sunlight with his friends. For a couple of years now, he had been completely alone, and he hadn't realized just how much he had missed having someone around until now. "Keep me company?"

"Robin…" Starfire frowned. "About what happened in the weight room…"

"It was nice," Robin mused.

"It was wrong," Starfire corrected him. "It is not fair to Speedy."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but…" Robin slid his hand over hers. "I'm not sorry."

"I am," Starfire pulled her hand away and stepped back.

"Starfire?" the door slid open and Speedy poked his head in.

"Yes?" she turned to face him with a smile planted on her face.

"Hey, Speedy," Robin grumbled before turning back to his map.

"There's something, uh… wrong with Raven," he scratched his head.

"Where is friend Raven?" Starfire immediately started to leave the room. Speedy glared for a few more minutes at Robin before ushering her out.

"She's not the only one there's something wrong with," Robin muttered to himself and shook his head as he set aside the dinner Starfire had brought him and buried his nose back in the map.


	13. Questions

"Yo, BB. I was just about to plug myself in for the night, but ya got a sec?" Cyborg looked up from the dishes he was washing in the sink when he heard Beast Boy come in.

"I'm not really in the mood to talk right now," Beast Boy grumbled as he flopped on to a bar stool across the counter from Cyborg.

"Oh," Cyborg frowned. "Being in Terra's old room was that hard?"

"Not exactly," Beast Boy sighed. Cyborg watched him with curiosity, but didn't press him. He knew if his friend wanted to talk, that he would. Beast Boy got up and moved around the counter where he grabbed a towel and started drying. When they were on the last plate, Beast Boy finally spoke again. "So you and Bumblebee… how did that happen?"

"Me and Bee? I don't know man, it's all kind of a blur. Why do ya wanna know? This about Terra?" Cy pulled the plug on the drain and watched the water swirl down the drain.

"No, it's not about Terra. I just… I mean you and me… well… we're not exactly… we're kinda…" Beast Boy fumbled for words.

"Different. Yeah, I know. So what's your point?" Cyborg leaned back against the counter and studied Beast Boy who kept his head down as he put away silverware.

"Well… girls don't exactly go for guys like… well…" Beast Boy shuffled his feet and finally looked up at Cyborg.

"You and me," Cyborg finished. "You having girl troubles, Beastie?"

"I guess I'm just wondering how you did it. You know? How you find someone who could look past…" Beast Boy trailed off as he gestured at Cyborg.

"The metal man?" Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Well, Bee's not exactly your average girl either."

"But she could pass for average. I mean, if she wanted to, she could go through life pretending she wasn't able to shrink to bug size," Beast Boy argued.

"Like Raven's been doing for the past few years?" Cyborg gave him a pointed look.

"Rachel," Beast Boy corrected.

"Right," Cyborg rolled his eyes. "Well, you'd have to ask Bee about why she chose this life over that."

"Yeah," Beast Boy sighed. "Okay."

"But speaking of," Cyborg prodded. "There's kind of something I want to talk to you about, man."

"Yeah?" Beast Boy scooted back up on a stool and leaned his elbows on the counter.

"Well, Bee's been talking to me about what she wants… ya know in our future, and… well, uh… she wants kids… eventually," Cyborg crossed his arms and looked at the ground.

"Oh… but she knows about…" Beast Boy bit his lip.

"Yeah, the accident and what it left me with… or without," Cyborg frowned. "So we've been talking about alternatives."

"Like adoption?" Beast Boy nodded. "I can tell you all about going through that from the kid point of view."

"Yeah, I know," Cyborg smiled weakly. "But actually we were thinking about other options. I mean, I think Bee really wants the whole experience of being a parent. And she can, it's just me…"

"So… what else can you do?" Beast Boy shrugged.

"Well, we could get a donor. Ya know, someone else to replace my… contribution," Cyborg cocked his head to the side.

"Oh," Beast Boy scratched his head. "Right. They have places where you can go and uh, get that."

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed. "Or we could, um, ask someone we know… like you."

"Like me?" Beast Boy furrowed his brow.

"Yeah," Cyborg shrugged. "Is that something you… could do… for us?"

"So you're asking me?" Beast Boy pointed at himself. "To, uh…"

"Yeah," Cyborg nodded. "I'm asking you."

"Oh," Beast Boy looked at the ground while there was an uncomfortable silence and then finally back up to Cyborg's nervous face. "Uh, I kinda need to think about it."

"That's fine," Cyborg grinned. "I mean that's more than I expected, so… take all the time you need."

"Cool," Beast Boy offered a small smile back. "Well, I'm going to bed now. Long day."

"Definitely," Cyborg agreed. "Night, BB."

"Night, Cy," Beast Boy pushed himself off the stool and headed to his room. Cyborg watched him go wondering what on earth had happened in Terra's room to get Beast Boy in such a down mood.


	14. Remembering

"Raven?" Starfire cautiously stepped into Speedy's room to find Raven curled up in a ball on the floor clutching at the carpet.

"Star?" Raven sniffled and moved to sit up.

"What is wrong?" Starfire sat down on the ground next to Raven, crossing her legs and watching Raven's face intently. It was red and splotchy from crying, and there was a print from the carpet on the left side of her face.

"How can you do this?" Raven choked out. "How can you be here in this tower after everything that happened?"

"It is my home," Starfire shrugged.

"It was mine, too," Raven wiped at her face. "But things change."

"Some things do change," Starfire agreed. "Is that why you are sad?"

"Yeah," Raven finally sighed after a long pause. "I guess so."

"You do not know why you are sad?" Starfire wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"It's more than one thing, really," Raven began. "Being back here… it's harder than I thought it would be. I mean, jus this room is… bizarre."

"It is not the same as before," Starfire agreed.

"Yeah," Raven nodded. "Really different. So much so that it doesn't look like Terra's old room at all. Like she was never here."

"Terra was here," Starfire argued. "We all know that."

"And I was here once, too," Raven countered. "But what's to show of it?"

"Your room has been left untouched," Starfire frowned.

"For now," Raven added. "And even still, that's what's left to show that I was here? That I was a Titan once?"

"I am not understanding," Starfire shook her head. "Do you wish to be a Titan again?"

"No," Raven laughed. "Well, yeah. No. I don't know. I miss you guys. I miss our home together. The way things were. But it's not like things will go back to that."

"I miss it as well," Starfire nodded and reached out a hand to place on Raven's shoulder. "Our old team."

"We had some good times," Raven smiled. "There was that time with Killer Moth and his crazy daughter when they blackmailed Robin in taking her to the dance."

"I did not like her," Starfire narrowed her eyes at the floor.

"No," Raven laughed. "Or the time that crazy robot guy wanted to make Cyborg completely machine."

"I am glad we stopped him," Starfire nodded.

"And then there was that time when we met the Doom Patrol and got to learn about Beast Boy," Raven frowned a little.

"It was most surprising that friend Beast Boy reconnected with them," Starfire commented.

"Yeah," Raven agreed. "I'm not really sure how that happened."

"He left right after you did," Starfire explained.

"Really?" Raven ran a hand through her hair and frowned at the floor. "Well… uh, thanks for the talk, Starfire."

"Of course, friend Raven," Starfire smiled. The two girls got up from the floor and shared an awkward hug. "Goodnight."

"Night," Raven offered before heading out of the room. She passed Speedy leaning against a wall in the hallway and blushed as he waved at her. She nodded her head at him in some sort of gesture of thanks, and then raced down the hall, trying to forget the horror she saw written across his face when he had walked into his room and found her crying on the floor.


	15. The Case

"Good you're all here," Robin stepped into the Ops room to find the girls huddled around the kitchen table looking at something Bee had out and the boys crammed onto the couch with a video game on the screen. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since Starfire had interrupted his time in the evidence room, but the sun was up again and the team looked like they had been up for a while. He glanced at the clock and confirmed that it was already after noon. Robin glanced around the room and took note that the girls were oohing and ahing over something and that Cyborg was beating Beast Boy at some game that Speedy seemed to be familiar with. No one seemed to look up even as he spoke, which frustrated him. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "I'd like to fill you all in on the case."

"Yeah, yeah, I can school you after I finish off Beast Boy and show Speedy who's boss," Cyborg laughed as Beast Boy wailed that he was out of practice.

"C'mon guys! There's a bad guy and we…" Robin was cut off by a squeal from the girls.

"You looked beautiful!" Raven commented.

"Aw, thanks," Bumblebee grinned. "You should see Star, there's a picture of her… oh there it is!"

"Woah," Raven stifled a giggle. "That's… some dress."

"Friend Bumblebee picked it out," Starfire grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I think the lime in the dress really picks out the green in her eyes," Bumblebee offered in all seriousness. "Don't you? I think she should wear it more often. I mean it is a dress for all occasions."

"Most definitely," Raven covered up another chuckle with a fake cough and shared a sympathetic look with Starfire.

"If you had been there, you would have worn it as well, friend Raven," Starfire glared daggers over the table.

"What a shame," Raven shook her head with a smile. "Now I'm really sorry I missed it."

"Oh, it's okay," Bumblebee waved her hand. "But if you really like the dress I'm sure we could get you something like it."

"It just wouldn't feel right," Raven answered a bit too quickly. "To have such a special dress when I missed such a special time."

"Are you sure?" Bumblebee smiled. "I mean…"

"YES!" Beast Boy screeched, his voice cutting through any other conversations. "BOOYAH! I still got it! I win! You lose! I win! I win! You lose!"

"NO!" Cyborg wailed into his hands. "NO!"

"Alright, Beast Boy," Speedy shook his head in disbelief. "I guess it's you and me, now."

"Sparky, since you're out, could you fetch album number two for me to show the gals?" Bumblebee called.

"Not now, hun. I'm calling a rematch. There's no way BB got me fair and square!" Cyborg shouted.

"Face it, dude. I rule!" Beast Boy smirked. "Loser says what?"

"ENOUGH!" Robin finally screamed. He had been standing quietly in the doorway waiting for the tiniest bit of silence so he could get their attention, but he had lost his patience. "We've got a bad guy to catch, and I need to brief you on her, so you idiots don't get yourselves killed!"

"Woah, dude," Beast Boy mumbled. "That's a bit harsh."

"Chill out, Rob," Cyborg added. "We're not exactly newbs here."

"You're acting kind of bossy for a guest," Speedy grumbled.

"We were just catching up," Bumblebee shrugged.

"Sheesh," Raven rolled her eyes. Robin glared at all of them and they all quickly averted the gazes.

"Alright, already. What's the deal with this Ivy anyways?" Cyborg finally spoke up.

"Poison Ivy," Robin corrected him, "is her code name. She's psychotic and very lethal. No toxins will affect her, but like her name, she's poisonous. Beware any skin contact… uh, especially… her, um… lips. Anywho, she has an unnatural bond with all kinds of plants, and she'll destroy anyone that even thinks about harming the environment. She's often teaming up with Harley Quinn, and sometimes Catwoman, too. It's unlikely she'd team up with anyone else, but we'll need to be aware of the possibility. She likes lush green places, so I've been scouring the map for possible hide outs. I'll go and do a little recon tonight to see if I can find her and find out what she's doing here without drawing any attention. I've been doing some research, but I can't figure out why she would be here. There's no threat to the environment, at least not more so than any other city. None of her known associates have bases here. So, we're flying blind for now. Cyborg, maybe your team could check around town and find out if she's made any waves with the criminal side of Jump City, yet?"

"Maybe if you say please," Cyborg crossed his arms. "And tell us about that Catwoman and the Harley Davidson."

"Harley Quinn," Robin sighed. "And let's just pray she's not involved."

"And the catwoman?" Bumblebee raised her eyebrows.

"If Harley's not around, then neither is she," Robin shook his head. "Ivy has a soft spot for Quinn, but she won't tolerate most anybody else."

"That's kind of odd," Beast Boy commented.

"Psycho more like. And that's Gotham's criminals," Robin frowned. "It's why most of them end up tossed in Arkham Asylum instead of Gotham prison."

"Wait," Raven held up her hand like she was a kid in a classroom. "Isn't that where Batman said Ivy had escaped from? Arkham?"

"Yeah. Arkham Asylum," Robin nodded. "It needs better security."

"So we're not just dealing with insane or criminal," Speedy scratched his head. "But criminally insane?"

"It's the Gotham way," Robin shrugged. "Make's your typical Jump City villain look pretty good, right?"

"I don't know," Bumblebee countered. "I mean have you seen the kind of crazy we've locked away?"

"Remember Slade?" Beast Boy pointed at Robin.

"Hell, he was a picnic compared to Raven's old man," Cyborg shook his head.

"Dude," Beast Boy muttered. "Not cool."

"Sorry, Rae," Cyborg offered a weak smile, but she was too busy fiddling with some strands of her hair and looking at the ground.

"Anyways," Robin interjected before the silence could get more awkward. "I figure we should get moving as soon as it's dark."

"You think so?" Cyborg rolled his eyes as the sarcasm dripped from his every word.

"I mean," Robin ground his teeth. "If that sounds good to you."

"Alright," Cyborg nodded. "Bee and I have some contacts we could shove around for some answers. Speedy, Starfire, we'll need to split up to cover more ground."

"What about me?" Beast Boy looked from Cyborg to Robin.

"You and Raven, I mean uh, Rachel can…" Robin shared a look with Cyborg and bit his lip, "train. Yeah. You can stay here and train."

"Right," Beast Boy grumbled and turned back to the video game.

"And hold down the fort," Cyborg added. "It might also be helpful for us to have a contact here in case any of us find something. That way we have an easy way to get the word out to everyone."

"Okay," Raven agreed quietly.

"Alright," Robin clapped his hands together. "Everyone's got marching orders. I'll be getting ready for tonight, if anyone needs me."

"Like a headache," Speedy grunted after Robin had already left the room.

"Marching orders," Cyborg repeated as he shook his head. "Same old, Rob."

"I guess we'll have to look at the second album later," Bumblebee sighed as she got up and started to put the first photo album away.

"It really did look like a beautiful wedding," Raven whispered as she curled up her legs to her chest. Bumblebee smiled at her and then grabbed Cyborg's arm and led him out of the room. Speedy shared a look with Starfire, and then they soon left as well.

"You okay?" Raven looked up to find Beast Boy standing in front of her.

"Sure," she shrugged, turning her eyes back down to her knees.

"Rae?" Beast Boy put a hand on her knee. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine," she insisted in a soft voice that suggested otherwise.

"Fine," Beast Boy shook his head and stomped off.

"Fine," Raven whispered to herself before resting her head on her knees.


	16. Communication

"Hey, Mark," Raven hesitantly moved to stand behind the couch. The others had left hours ago. It was the middle of the night, and Raven had tried to talk to Beast Boy several times. First, she had asked him if he wanted to spar with her, but he had mumbled something about the communications tower and wandered off. She had tried again to see if he wanted a late night snack, she'd even offered to eat tofu, but he had blown her off a second time with barely a word. She had even stopped by his room, knocking to see if he would let her in, but he hadn't answered even though she knew for a fact that he was in there. Now she had found him playing some video game and snuck up behind him, hoping he wouldn't bolt the second she spoke.

"Hi, Rachel," he answered instead after taking a deep breath. He didn't pull his eyes away from the screen, but his fingers stopped punching the buttons on the video game controller.

"Can I join you?" she put her hand on his shoulder and he rolled it off.

"Sure," he shook his head.

"Is that a yes or no?" she frowned at the back of his head.

"Just sit," he sighed.

"I thought you said you weren't mad at me," she crossed her arms over her chest as she flopped down on the couch next to him.

"I'm not," he grumbled.

"Could fool me," she argued.

"I'm not, Rach," he sighed and turned to look at her. "I'm not mad at you."

"So you're just being a jerk?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Rae," he started to argue, but she gave him a pointed look. "I'm sorry. We're good, okay?"

"Okay…" she answered slowly as the frown on her face relaxed. "So what's going on?"

"Can I ask you something?" he said quietly.

"Yeah," she answered quickly, but soon regretted it.

"It's just… well Bee wants to have kids, but you know Cy…" Beast Boy shook his head, unable to say it.

"Can't," Raven shrugged. It was no secret within the Titan Tower what problems each of them had.

"Yeah, and… so, Cy told me they're looking into their options. And well, he was wondering if I'd want to, um, give them my, uh… ya know, so they could…" Beast Boy bit his lip and gave her a pointed look.

"Oh," Raven sat back and stared at the video game on the screen. Beast Boy hadn't paused it, but because he'd stopped playing his character had died, so GAME OVER was written in large letters over the screen. "That's…"

"Big," Beast Boy finished. "Huge. Enormous. Ginormous…"

"I get it," Raven cut him off.

"Right," he exhaled loudly. "So… what do I do?"

"What'd you say?" she moved closer to him so that their knees bumped together and her hand could curl into his arm.

"I'd think about it," he frowned.

"And?" she prodded, leaning her chin on his shoulder.

"I don't know," he leaned his head against hers. "I think Cy and Bee will make the greatest parents ever, but…"

"It's a lot to ask," Raven offered.

"Yeah. I mean, it'll be my kid sort of, technically, kind of. And it's just…" Beast Boy found her hand with his and curled his fingers around her own.

"Weird," she answered.

"Exactly. I keep trying to picture it. Some kid with green skin, Bee's fluffy ponytails that she used to have, and I just… can't," he bit his lip.

"Hm," Raven tried to picture it herself, but she couldn't seem to mesh Beast Boy and Bumblebee into one person. "Yeah. Well, I'm sure they'd understand…"

"But Cyborg asked me. He doesn't ask anyone for anything," Beast Boy argued. "How can I say no?"

"But can you say yes? Are you okay with the idea that you'd be part of creating a life that you wouldn't be a part of?" Raven pulled her head away to look at him.

"I don't know," he looked back and then shook his head like he was trying to shake off a thought he was having. He quickly pulled away from her and put a little distance between them on the couch. "I gotta go."

"Will you stop running away from me?" she put her hand on his arm, exasperated.

"I just have a lot I have to think about," he mumbled, but kept his eyes trained on the floor.

"You could talk to me about it," she offered. "It might help to bounce it off someone."

"I can't," he set his jaw. "Look, you can't say anything about this. If they found out I told you…"

"They won't," Raven answered. "You can trust me."

"Yeah, I know," he smiled, finally looking up at her.

"Mark, I…" Raven started, but she was cut off by the phone ringing.

"Who would call the regular line here?" Beast Boy scratched his head and frowned at the phone.

"Oh. I, um… told Wally I was staying with some friends and gave him the Tower's line," she bit her lip and looked over at Beast Boy. "Is that okay?"

"Wally," Beast Boy scrunched up his face like he had suddenly got a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Yeah…" Raven nervously tucked hair behind her ear. "I should…"

"Talk to Wally," Beast Boy forced a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "I gotta go, anyways."

"Wally?" Raven picked up the phone and answered with a cheerful tone, but her eyes followed Beast Boy out of the room.

**Author's Note:** I just find Raven/Rachel & BB/Mark so easy to write, so this story will probably be mostly them. Hope you enjoy the update, I'll try to get more for you real soon.


	17. Truths

**Author's Note:** Finally updating again. Sorry for the wait.

"You think Robin, I mean Nightwing, found anything?" Speedy was the first to break the silence. He and Starfire had been the first to arrive back, both shrugging off that they hadn't found anything as they slumped down on the sofas to rest. Apparently they hadn't been the only two that had had a long night based on the fact that Beast Boy was busy "training" which looked more like him punching and kicking out some serious aggression while Raven kept trying to meditate to no avail. She would rise about a foot off the ground before she'd open her eyes, curse, sigh, and then try again. Cyborg and Bumblebee had come in an about an hour later, and also slumped down on the couch due to frustration and exhaustion. Now the six were all crashed out in Ops as Raven had finally given up on meditating and Beast Boy had finally tired himself out, so they had joined the glum crowd. They had been sitting around waiting for Robin to show up for almost two hours now, and they were all too on edge about one thing or another to speak, move, or really even think about anything until Robin made some sort of an appearance, until Speedy finally broke the ice. "Or do you think that he struck out like the rest of us?"

"No luck for you guys either?" Robin frowned as he slumped into the nearest available chair. "Dammit."

"You didn't find her then," Cyborg exhaled heavily. "I was beginning to think that you had decided to take her all on your own."

"Well, I've faced her alone before," Robin shook his head. "And let me tell you, there's a good reason for me to be asking for your help on this."

"I just figured you were trying to get your hands on something other than a psycho," Speedy grumbled. Bumblebee raised her eyebrows at Cyborg who looked just as shocked while Beast Boy and Raven shared a look that said they had a feeling Speedy wasn't far from the truth. Starfire, however, was busying her hands in her lap and keeping her eyes locked on the floor.

"I checked the most lush green areas in the city, and she's definitely been around, but I can't seem to pick up a trace of where she might be now," Robin continued, ignoring Speedy's comment. At this, the rest of the six, including Speedy, looked at Robin with a new-found respect for ignoring a chance to pick a fight, especially when it brought up Starfire. Then they all seemed to remember simultaneously that Robin's first priority would always be getting the bad guy. "You didn't even get a single clue from a source?"

"The lady must be laying low," Cyborg shrugged. "Some had heard of her, a few of those knew she'd gotten the heck out of Gotham, but the best lead we got was suspicion that she was running from trouble, not towards it."

"Apparently there's a lot a talk about what might be going down soon in Gotham," Bumblebee added, "but no one can seem to agree on what that might be. So we've got nothing for you there either."

"It can't be good though," Speedy shook his head.

"Just the mere mention of Gotham scared people away," Starfire explained.

"The kind of people that aren't scared by much," Speedy finished.

"You know Gotham best," Beast Boy looked to Robin. "What do you think it all means?"

"What I feared most," Robin groaned.

"A criminal uprising?" Raven asked."

"Worse," Robin shook his head. "Batman."

"Dude! We get to talk to Batman again? SWEET!" Beast Boy cheered. "Best superhero ever. Besides me, of course."

"Um, BB?" Cyborg swiped his hand across his neck.

"Oops. My bad," Beast Boy blushed. "Batman equals bad. I got it. I'll never even mention his name again."

"Not bad, just…" Robin chewed on his lip as he tried to think of the right word. "Difficult."

"We all know you when you five started up this little tower team that you and he-who-shall-now-be-nameless parted on bad terms, but as far as I know, you've never said a thing. Now, you seem to hate him more than ever, so what the heck could the masked man of Gotham have done to get on your dead-to-me list?" Bumblebee threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Bee," Cyborg put his hand on her knee in an attempt to calm her.

"No, Cy," Bumblebee shook her head, but took hold of his hand, "There's just too many questions going unanswered around here to let this one go."

"Bumblebee is right," Starfire finally lifted her chin as she spoke up. "We all need to speak in truths."

"Okay," Beast Boy nodded. "I did switch out your whole milk to soy. But at least I clearly marked the tofu, so you can't mistake it for your vile red meat."

"I knew it!" Cyborg exclaimed with a jump in the air. "I told you the milk smelled funny!"

"How could you possibly think that your tofu looks anything like real food?" Robin accused.

"So that stuff isn't some Tamaranian concoction of Star's?" Speedy grinned. "What a relief. I thought I was going to be force fed."

"I don't think refrigerator confessions are what we're looking for here," Raven narrowed her eyes at the boys.

"Good to know, though," Bumblebee offered.

"Yes, it is good to be knowing," Starfire glared at Speedy.

"Just starting us out on a lighter note," Beast Boy mumbled.

"Not a bad idea, BB, though the milk-swap scheme was a terrible on for future information. I have an idea myself," Cyborg proposed, "bed. I'm beat. Can we get some sleep before we get all true confessions and start braiding friendship bracelets? I need to recharge. Literally."

"What on earth do you know about braiding, Mr. Clean?" Beast Boy gave a trademark toothy grin to his buddy as he clapped him on the shoulder. "Though a recharge does sound tempting."

"I suppose I could wait a few hours for answers and catch a little snooze," Bumblebee yawned.

"Ops in six, guys," Cyborg commanded. "Rob?"

"Fine," Robin nodded, relieved to have escaped a round of questioning. "I've got some things I want to go over before I have to make that call to Gotham."

"Oh, right," Bumblebee frowned. "Maybe we should do that first."

"Rest," Robin shook his head. "There'll be plenty more to be done tomorrow."

"You mean today," Speedy corrected. "It's already past three."

"All the more reason to go catch some z's while you can," Robin argued. "I'll be…"

"Working," Beast Boy cut him off. "We know. But have you tried these things called beds? They're soft and warm and so easy to sleep on. Or do you not know what that is either?"

"In the evidence room," Robin finished with a cross look at Beast Boy before quickly sliding out of the room.

"I'll walk you to your room, Star," Speedy offered her a hand up and led her down the hall.

"Night you two," Bumblebee called after them before grabbing Cy's arm and smiling at Raven and Beast Boy. "And to you two."

"Night," Cy called over his shoulder before Raven and Beast Boy were left alone in Ops.

"Walk with me?" Raven held her hand out to Beast Boy. He helped her up and kept a hold on her hand as they started down the hall to their rooms.

"It was really good of you to lighten things up back there," she squeezed his hand before sliding out of his grip. "Who knows what fights could have broken out otherwise."

"Just doing what I do best," Beast Boy shrugged. "Funny guy, and all."

"You don't always have to be funny, you know," Raven bumped him with her shoulder. "It's okay to just… say what you need to say."

"Now that's funny," he huffed. "Coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raven crossed her arms over her chest as they continued to walk through the old hallway.

"You're saying that my jokes are a wall, but you're just as guarded if not more so," Beast Boy pointed out. "You used to hide behind a cloak and hood, but now it's the whole normalcy obsession."

"You don't know anything," she glared as they stopped in front of her door. "Especially about being normal."

"You're right, I don't," he countered. "But you're no expert either. No matter how hard you try."

"You're just jealous," she spat. "You wish you could blend in."

"Oh, I'm jealous alright," he shook his head. "Just not of that."

"Then of what?" Raven eyed him curiously. Beast Boy's jaw set firmly, his mouth straightened into a tiny frown, and his shoulders fell. Only for a second, but it was noticeable. Then he took a deep breath and looked Raven straight in the eye.

"How's Wally?" he asked.

"Wally?" Raven bit her lip as she flipped through her thoughts for a metal picture of him, which she was having a harder time than usual doing. "Fine."

"Well, then…" Beast Boy gestured to her door.

"Good night, Mark," Raven smiled shyly as she opened the door to her old room.

"Sleep tight, Rae," Beast Boy returned with a weak smile before the door closed between them.


End file.
